Bed-support.



I. E.' BUTLER.

BED s uPPoRT. APPLICATION FILED .IUNEZO I9I7.

I 'l p'yg Patented Nom-20,191?.

WITNESSES lNI/EI'TUI? train ras JOHN EDWIN BUTLER, OF COWELL, CALIFORNIA.

BED-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratentea Nev. ao, mit?.

Application filed J'une 20, 1917. Serial No. 175,855.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN EDWIN BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cowell, in the county of Contra Costa and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bed-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in bed supports, and has for its object to provide mechanism of the character speciiied, especially adapted for use in hospitals and sick rooms, for preventing the patient, when sitting up, from slipping down' toward the foot of the bed. v

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a bed provided with the improved support;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow adj acent to the line; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the hinged clamp.

The present embodiment ofthe invention is shown in connection with a bed 1, the said bed having the usual side rails 2. A plate 3 is provided of sufiicientlength to extend almost across the bed, 4and the ends of the plate are supported bythe clamps, to be later described, just above the mattress 4.

The support comprises a pair of bars 5, which are spaced apart from each other, and

are connected by a series of cross bars 6,"

said cross bars being riveted to the bars 5. Each of the cross bars 6 is extended at one end at approximately a right angle to the body of the bar, as indicated at 7, and these extended portions are arched, being bent back upon the bodies of the bars 6 and secured thereto by rivets 8 or the like. Thus each of the bars 6 has a wicket shaped or arched portion above one of the bars 5, and these wicket shaped or arched portions are in register. The end bars 6 are also extended at the opposite end, and bent at a right angle to the bodies of the bars as indicated at 9, and are then bent down, as indicated at 8, upon the bodies of the bars, being secured thereto by the rivet 8, as shown.

A resilient structure is thus provided, composed of the bars 6 and extensions 7, and these extensions 7 are connected by a curved plate 11, said plate connecting all the extensions and being riveted thereto as shown. The plate 3 is received at its ends between marginal ribs 12 on bracket plates. 13, which are supported by the side rails 2 of the bed. The plate has a threaded stem 14:, and the bracket an opening through which the stem is passed, and a wing nut 15 engages the stem above the plate. Each ofthese brackets 13 is arched, as shown, outwardly to extend outside of the mattress and then above the same, and at its lower end each bracket has an outward extension 16, which is one of the leaves of a hinge, and the said leaf is adapt ed to rest upon the horizontal portion of the angular bed rail. The other leaf 17, which is hinged to the leaf 16, is adapted to t outside the vertical portion of the angular rail, and means is provided for clamping this leaf 17 to the rail. VThe said means comprises a clamping plate 18 fitting outside of the hinged leaf 17, and having a hook shaped extension 19, which is adapted to en* gage beneath the edge of the rail, as shown.

This clamping plate has a series of vertical slots 20, and the hinged leaf has threaded openings 21 registering with the slots. A set screw 22 is passed through oneof the slots and engages one ,of the threaded openings and the side rail to clamp the parts together.

An angular flange plate 23 is secured to eachbracket 13 at the angle formed between the said bracket and the hinged leaf 16, and this flange plate is adapted to 'engage beneath the horizontal portion of the side rail, as shown in F ig. 1, to prevent upward movement of the hinged leaf 16.

The bar 5 adjacent to the plate 3 is hinged to the said plate by means of hinges 3a, in order that the support may take the position of Fig. l or the position of Fig. 2. In the former position the support is used as a knee rest for supporting the knees, while in the latter position it is used as a foot rest. In use, the bracket plates are secured to the rails by first engaging the flange plates 23 beneath the horizontal portions of the rails. The hinged leaves 17 are then turned down upon the vertical pon tions of the side rails and the clamping plates 18 are placed. The plate 3, carrying the resilient support, is then inserted between the guides 12 of each bracket and the parts are bolted together. In practice, the pillow is first placed beneath the patients knees and then the resilient support, and the support is then connected up with the brackets, When used as a foot rest In practice, the parts are of cold rolled steel, and are enameled White. The plate l1, in addition to reinforcing the device, prevents the pillow from being forced down' into'the space between the arches. `It will be understood that the supports may be arranged in either the position shown in .Fig.'2 or With the cross bars 6 on the plate 3.

I claim:

l. A device of the character specified, comprising a pair of spaced parallel strips, cross bars connecting the strips at spaced intervals, each cross bar having at one end an extension of substantially Ushape', the free end of each extension being secured to the body of the bar near the opposite strip, each of the end cross bars having an eXtension at the opposite end extending at right angles to the bar in the same directionl as the first named extension and then bent backward and secured to the body of the bar, a plate lto which one of the cross bars is hinged, brackets detachably connected With the ends of the plate and having means for clamping said leaf to the rail.

2. A device of the character specified,

intervals, each cross bar having at one end an extension dif-substantially U-shape, the free end of each extension being secured to thebody of the bar near the opposite strip, each of` the end cross bars having anextension at the opposite end extending at right angles to the bar in the same direction as the first named extensions and then bent backward and secured tothe body of the bar, a plate to Which one ofthe cross bars is hinged, and bracketsdetachably connected with the ends ofthe plate and-having means for engaging the side railslo'f the vbed to supportthe plate above the mattress.

3. A device of the character specified, comprising a pair et' spaced parallel strips, cross bars connecting the strips at spaced intervals, Veach crossbar having at oneend an :extension of substantially 'li-shape, the free end of eachextension being secured to the body of the bar near the opposite strip, each of the end cross bars having Van extension at the opposite end: extending at right angles to the bar in the same direction as the first named Vextensions and then bent backward and secured to thebody ofthe bar. Il. A device'of the character specified comprising av pair of spaced Strips, cross bars Y connecting the strips at spaced intervals 'and arched in the same direction, and means'for connectingthe support tothe opposite rails of a bed. Y

5. A device of the character speciiied coinprising a pair ofspaced strips, cross bars connecting the strips at spaced intervals and arched in the same'direction` i JOHN EDVIN BUTLER.:

Copies of this patent mav be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of PatentsJ Washington, D. C. A l f y 

